074 - The Sailor Fireman

EN
This song was already in print in 1950 in a book called "Nigger Melodies; being The Only Entire and Complete Work of Ethiopian Songs Extant" (Cornish Lamport & Co., New York, 1850, 2488., illustrated frontis, VG).

Stan Hugill states are that this song may be the key to the origin of the verse of "Sacramento" and Foster's "Camptown Races". The original title of this song is "I'LL FIRE DIS TRIP", and according to Stan Hugill's research, originally has been written by a sailor who for the first, and probably the last time, tried the hard work of a fireman.

The version of this song in Stan Hugill's book comes from Sigurd Sternvall's "Sang under Segel" (1935). I decided to sing the original text of this song from "Nigger Melodies; being The Only Entire and Complete Work of Ethiopian Songs Extant", printed over one hundred and seventy years ago (page 168, 169), it has slightly different lyrics, compared to this, what Stan Hugill's gives to us. "Shanties from the Seven Seas" by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 115).



The Sailor Fireman (I'll Fire Dis Trip)

I'll fire dis trip but I'll fire no more,
   - Oho. oho, oh!
Oh, pay me my money, and I'll go on shore,
   - Fire down below

             *2*
Miss Fanny Bell, oh, fare you well,
I'm going away p'r'aps to -----

             *3*
A bully-boat, and a bully crew,
And a bully-raggin' captain too,

             *4*
De posom jump and de panther roar,
I woke dis morning at half-past four.

             *5*
I creep out safely from my hive,
And took a dram at half-past five.

             *6*
Says I, ole boat, let's have no tricks,
Her biler bust,—at half-past six.

             *7*
So now we trabel under sail,
'Cause Jonah's de man dat swallow'd de whale.

             *8*
I'll fire dis trip, but I'll fire no more,
Pay me my money and I'll go on shore.